If you’re on this website, it’s mostly likely because you or your child wants help applying to college. I’m thrilled you’re here, but before we get much further, it’s important that families know the ground rules of college admissions before starting the process.

A recent article in The New York Times, How to Keep Your College Admissions Offer, reports that ten students who were admitted to Harvard this year have had their admissions revoked – no chance of appeal – because of repugnant online behavior.

The article begins:

“Harvard has rescinded acceptance offers to at least 10 incoming freshmen who posted offensive jokes about school shootings, the Holocaust, bestiality and the death of children and minorities — among other obscene topics — to a private Facebook group.

“The jokes were posted in the form of memes, those photographs or images overlaid with captions that you see everywhere on the internet. That young people post offensive memes on Facebook is not news. What’s unique about this situation is that Harvard found out about incoming students who were doing so and retracted their admission, sending a strong message that this kind of behavior is unacceptable.” READ MORE

Online literacy and etiquette are essential at every stage of the process! Be smart. Be aware. Be kind. And don’t take anything for granted.